There are various reasons why performance issues may arise within Power BI once more visuals or pages are incorporated into a report. However, several solutions can be employed to enhance performance without compromising on usability. Here are some of the recommended solutions:
1. Use Fewer, More Meaningful Graphics, and Do Not Overcrowd Pages
One of the sweet perspectives to enhance the performance of a report is reducing the number of visuals contained in a single page. Every visual contains a query on data, and having many such visuals increases the processing burden. Where possible, try to combine and edit visuals rather than placing many of them – it can positively shorten and fasten the overall report. Also, take into account the type of visual used; simpler visuals tend to be less expensive, whereas layered visuals such as scatter charts and maps are costly.
2. Improve the Performance of DAX Measures and Eliminate Unneeded Calculated Columns
Another time-intensive part of the report can be complex DAX measures, which are often updated on many visuals in real-time. When possible, try to perform an aggregation or computation closer to the source; otherwise, measures may be preferred rather than calculated columns. That lightens the burden on Processing in Power BI. Also, do not implement the same DAX in different visuals, but implement it once and reference it as required.
3. Implementing Data Shrinkage Strategies
Power BI contains a number of data shrinkage strategies, which allow for reducing the amount of data that is loaded into the data visualizations. Employ such features as the Top N filter that restricts the amount of information represented in the visualizations or apply a data filter at the report data model level. It may also be useful to turn visuals to “import” mode instead of “DirectQuery” for very large datasets since DirectQuery connects directly to the source database and retrieves data in real-time, which may result in the sluggishness of the report if the data source is not well optimized.
4. Use Performance Analyzer to Identify Bottlenecks.
One of the most well-known resources of Power BI is the Performance Analyzer, which is used to identify performance bottlenecks that may be experienced within the application. This tool allows you to see how much time it takes to visualize each report element and process its data, thus allowing you to find report elements that make the report slow. After these report elements have been identified, it is then possible to either optimize them or change them, if possible, change the queries, or, if the case allows, consider reducing the size of the data.
Using these approaches, you will be able to solve problems related to performance as you handle larger amounts of data in your Power BI report, allowing users to enjoy the speed of the report without sacrificing its complexity.
